How would you summarize Plato’s story concerning the Ring of Gyges? What ethical issue(s) is it interested in exploring? What is Glaucon’s understanding of morality (i.e., a Morality of Obligation)? What is Socrates’ understanding (i.e., a Morality of Happiness)?
Consider the positions of Glaucon and Socrates – whose view of morality is superior and why? Be prepared to write a short paragraph explaining your perspective.
1/27 – 1/29
Moral Foundations: Paths toward Ethics
Topic: Justice and the Prophets
Texts: Abraham Heschel, “What Manner of Man is the Prophet”; Marcus Borg, “The Kingdom of God: The Heart of Justice” – PDFs on Moodle.
How would you describe the social ethic of the prophet Amos? Be prepared to illustrate your answer with ideas your read in the Heschel text or through ideas discussed in Amos 1–4; 8. *No need to memorize specific verses, but you should be able to point to specific ideas Amos explores in the book.
How do you explain the biblical trope concerning justice for “the widow, the orphan, and the immigrant”? Why are these three – widow, orphan, immigrant – central in the mind of the biblical authors? What does this recurring theme say about the God of the Hebrew Bible? See Deuteronomy 10:12–22 for a use of the trope.
What are examples of overlapping titles for Caesar as the Emperor of Rome and Jesus as the Jewish messiah? What is the significance of assigning titles given to a Roman Emperor to a Jewish peasant? How did Rome likely interpret such a bold move?
How would you describe the “Roman Tradition and Path to Peace”? How would you describe the “Prophetic Tradition and Path to Peace”?
Is the vision of justice held by the Jewish prophets and the early Church a feasible social ethic? Why or why not? Be prepared to write a short paragraph explaining your perspective.
2/3 – 2/5
Moral Foundations: Paths toward Ethics
Topic: Ethical Models and Methods
Texts: Brian Stiltner, Toward Thriving Communities, Ch. 1; Martin Buber, I and Thou, PDF on Moodle
How would you describe: Originary Ethics, Normative Ethics, and Socio-political Ethics? Be able to describe as well how each is related to the others and the problem with beginning an exploration of ethics with the “normative” perspective described by Stiltner.
What is the role of Transcendence/Infinity and emotion in originary ethics?
How would you explain Martin Buber’s two primary word combinations: I/It; He; She and I/Thou?
What is ethics from the perspective of Deontology? Who is a prominent proponent of this way of doing ethics? What is a strength and weakness of this approach?
What is ethics from the perspective of Utilitarianism/Consequentialism? Who is a prominent proponent of this way of doing ethics? What is a strength and weakness of this approach?
What is ethics from the perspective of Virtue? Who is a prominent proponent of this way of doing ethics? What is a strength and weakness of this approach?
What are Immanuel Kant’s two categorical imperatives? What kind of ethic do these represent?
What is “the Trolley Problem?” What kind of ethic does this explore? How would you approach the problem give the following scenario: Track 1 – 5 strangers; Track 2 – A lose frond from childhood you have lost touch with.
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